Making The Most Of Your Summer Holidays

As the academic year ends, in collaboration with our National Anti-Bullying Youth Board, The Diana Award has compiled a list of exciting activities for you to continue your anti-bullying work over the summer break!  

Wellbeing

After a difficult year of uncertainty and school closures, it’s more important than ever to stay connected and look after your mental wellbeing. PlayFirstUK argue that this summer ‘social interaction, play, physical activity and good mental health needs to come first.’ Here are some activities you can do which will help spread positive wellbeing for you and others:

• Create wellbeing window displays of positive quotes and affirmations or of uplifting art. When you all return to school, you can share your creations and put them up around school.  
• Check in with your friends – during the holidays, it can be easy to become disconnected from people as you don’t see them every day in school. A simple text to ask ‘How are you doing today?’ and letting your friends know you are always there to listen whenever they need can go such a long way.  
• Exercise – take part in a group sport if you are able to (while adhering to government guidelines) or engage in a mindfulness activity from your home. Exercise is great for your mental health and taking part in a group sport can also help you make connections with others.  
• Keep a journal – journaling is an excellent way for you to check in with yourself. You can journal about fun days with friends, but also the days where you might not feel as great.  

Paige from our Youth Board suggests: ‘Do a parent and child cooking session where you create a dish inspired by your positive thoughts on the other person!’

Ruchi from our Youth Board suggests: ‘Take time off – we have earned it! Sometimes not doing something planned and formal for a few days is the best way to give yourself and your brain a rest.’  

Respect

Promoting diversity and inclusion and championing equal rights is something we should all do in our day to day lives, whether in school or not. Here are some ideas for how you can promote respect in your summer holidays:  

• Learn a new skill which will help to promote inclusivity e.g. learn sign language! You could build up the basics to then teach your peers once you return to school.  
• Summer project – you could all put together a poster/presentation on a famous figure who champions equal rights, ready for you to present when you go back to school.  
• Awareness days – have a look if there are any awareness days during your summer holidays and think about how you could celebrate them at home.  

Ruchi, from our Youth Board says: try and collect money for charities which support children with disabilities, as a way of celebrating our differences.  

Community Action

Being outside the classroom means you have more opportunity to spread your anti-bullying message within your local community!  

• Get others involved - not being in school might mean you spend more time with your relatives and extended family. It is so important to continue having discussions with family members about bullying behaviour and keep them informed with how they can support you. Take a look at our resource page for specific resources you can use to help educate your family on bullying behaviour.  
• Fundraise – run a bake sale and raise money for an anti-bullying charity!
• Spread the message – release balloons or create an art display in your front garden with anti-bullying messages, encouraging people walking by to write their own message.  
• Volunteer – school finishing for the year is exciting, but a lack of structure can also be difficult for some people to navigate. Many local communities have communal gardens where you can volunteer – a great way to help your community but also be at one with nature! Have a think about volunteering opportunities that would allow you to show support and kindness to other people in your local community.
• Join a Youth club – joining a new club can be a great way to connect with other young people and get them on board with your anti-bullying work.  

Nung, from our Youth Board suggests: having a structured family meal where you can discuss certain issues which might be a good way for parents to get involved.  

Lydia from our Youth Board suggests hosting online meetings and planning fundraisers that spread awareness of bullying behaviour.  

Online Safety

During the summer holidays, you might not be able to see your friends as much if you live far away from each other or have clashing plans. Although social media can be a great tool to stay connected with people, it is important to remember to stay safe online, and encourage others to do so.

• Be an Upstander online – if you see or witness cyberbullying behaviour online, feel confident in screenshotting, reporting and blocking and checking in with the person to make sure they are okay.  
• Create your own blog – use the online space to continue to educate your peers and spread your anti-bullying message and share stories you see online of people being upstanders in their community.
• Make an online group for your Anti-Bullying Ambassador team – this way you can stay connected and plan ideas for future campaigns. Make sure you let your teachers know if you plan to create an online group for your Anti-Bullying Ambassador team.
• Have screen free days – it’s important to also recognise the effect that the online space can have on your mental health. If taking a step back from social media and your phones is what you need, make sure that you set aside some time for other activities.

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Lydia from our Youth Board suggests making the most of Summer by safely using apps like Facetime, WhatsApp and social media to stay in touch and coordinate your Anti-Bullying Ambassador team; this way, you can prepare to hit the ground running when you return in September!

We hope you found this resource helpful! Don’t forget to check out more activities, resources and more this Summer by exploring our Resource Centre.

Remember that if your whole Anti-Bullying Ambassador team plan any summer holiday actions to raise awareness about bullying behaviour in your wider community, you may be able to use this for your next badge application. You can read more about qualifying actions towards each badge here.

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